UK, HHS roundtable focuses on building healthier communities

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 3, 2026) — The University of Kentucky hosted a roundtable with Samantha Brown-Parks, M.D., regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Atlanta Region, March 24 at the Gatton Student Center.  

The discussion focused on building healthier communities and included Colleen McCarty, regional administrator at Health Resources and Services Administration; Desmica Head, provider outreach relations lead for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Tom Walton, program director for the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program; and Lori Caloia, deputy commissioner for Clinical Affairs in the Kentucky Department for Public Health. 

UK participants included Robert DiPaola, M.D., provost and co-executive vice president for health affairs; Mark D. Birdwhistell, senior vice president for health and public policy; Ilhem Messaoudi, Ph.D., acting vice president for research; Chipper Griffith, dean, UK College of Medicine; Angela Dearinger, M.D., executive vice dean, UK College of Medicine; and Donald Lloyd II, president and CEO, UK St. Claire. 

A primary focus of the roundtable was the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which resulted in a $213 million award for the state of Kentucky. The Kentucky Department for Public Health identified five strategies to utilize these funds:  

• PoWERing Rural Maternal & Infant Health 
• From Crisis to Care: Integrated EMS & Trauma Response 
• Rapid Response to Recovery: EmPATH Model & Mobile Crisis 
• Rooted in Health: Rural Dental Access Program 
• Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation 

“We would like to emphasize that the University of Kentucky is already on the path for meaningful rural transformation. We are excited to have the serviceable obtainable market including a longitudinal nutrition curriculum and applaud the integrated commitment to primary care,” Brown-Parks said. “We are anticipating great outcomes with the RHTP funds that have been allocated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The activities at the university and collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Public Health demonstrate not only a deep understanding of the challenges in rural health, but a true commitment to overcoming those challenges.” 

During the session, UK officials also updated leaders on their emphasis on workforce and nutritional education with the UK College of Medicine now one of 54 higher education institutions committed to enhancing comprehensive nutrition education and training. 

Additionally, UK is working to increase the number of physicians trained and employed across the region. The UK College of Medicine’s campuses in Lexington, Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green and Morehead continue to produce doctors for rural Kentucky and rural America through programs like the Rural Physician Leadership Program based in Morehead.  

Also, UK’s partnerships with UK St. Claire and UK King’s Daughters have proven to be beneficial for Kentuckians. For example, UK St. Claire has been able to recruit 50 new physicians and 52 other Advanced Practice Providers through its affiliation with UK.  

Beyond workforce and nutritional education, UK leaders also took the opportunity to highlight its many health-related research initiatives dedicated to making Kentucky healthier through advances in substance use disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, maternal morbidity and mortality as well as many other areas.